High Prevalence of Autism Could Benefit Patients in the Workforce

Based on data taken from 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report last month that found 1 in every 68 children have autism spectrum disorder. There are a few positives to this alarming discovery.

Autism spectrum disorder is examined by the CDC every two years, when health officials and researchers evaluate health and educational records of 8-year-old children in certain states across the U.S. Numbers from 2002 revealed that every 1 in 150 children had ASD, followed by the 2006 numbers that found 1 in every 110. Then, in 2010, they found that 1 in every 68 children had ASD, which startled many.

Yes, the disease is becoming more prevalent, and relatively quickly. But with this discovery, doctors have realized that ASD can be diagnosed in children as early as two years old, which can help them cope with certain issues at a younger age to help improve their behavior. Many cases could be avoided if adults prepared to conceive at an earlier age; children born to older parents have a higher risk of ASD. Additionally, 46% of children diagnosed with ASD have average to above average intellectual ability.

That final statistic is relative for the interests of the German software company SAP. By 2020 they hope to have 1% of autistic workers (about 650 people) in their company because they believe that individuals with ASD have characteristics that are needed for software testers and debuggers.

"They have a very structured nature and like nonambiguous, precise outcomes," said Jose Velasco, the head of the autism initiative at SAP, in this Wall Street Journal article. "We're looking at those strengths and looking at where those traits would be of value to the organization."

Those who suffer from ASD are believed to possess superior "soft skills," which include a strong work ethic, dependability, positive attitude, team-oriented, and working well under pressure. All of these aspects are important for hiring managers, and ASD patients are catching the attention of employers similar to SAP as well.

Despite the alarming diagnoses rate for ASD, it was discovered that the disease can be diagnosed and treated much earlier than previously thought, and apparently employers are targeting those who suffer from it. Nonetheless, hopefully ASD cases will begin to decrease as the years progress because it's certainly not good if the numbers keep leaping at the rate they've been.